


Pack

by MiladyPheonix



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Gen, Sherlock Whump, Were John
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-03
Updated: 2019-02-03
Packaged: 2019-10-21 09:56:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,024
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17640581
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MiladyPheonix/pseuds/MiladyPheonix
Summary: John never changes with others present and has kept his nature secret to curb Sherlock's curiosity and avoid hurting him... keeping secrets from Sherlock Holmes?





	Pack

**Author's Note:**

  * For [desperately_spoken](https://archiveofourown.org/users/desperately_spoken/gifts).



> Desperately Spoken pointed provided some helpful criticism bringing a lack of diversity to my attention, was offered 1K but was 2K by the time the gents were okay again.

John winced as the change took him, fortunately Sherlock was at his parent’s home because of something about Uncle Rudy though John carefully avoided Sherlock’s family issues as he had his own to deal with. He could change properly with Sherlock gone which was a relief, the inhibitors worked so they protected Sherlock but they made John ache and the pain set him on edge. “John, I knew it!” Sherlock’s rich voice was the last thing he heard before his skull realigned itself and he lost consciousness to the beast.

Sherlock crowed in triumph, his flat mate was a were! He had been right and now that John was changed Sherlock drank in the details. Canis Lupus raised it’s head over a metre high, John’s beast was magnificent and his line must be ancient, the Grey wolf have been known weres for centuries and now a large male stood staring at Sherlock. Grinning Sherlock approached “John you are extraordinary" but froze in his tracks because that was not John looking back at him and he realised that he was in a small room with a predator so powerful it’s lineage had survived an ice age through the Dire wolves of the Americas… and there was no John Watson to protect him. Because that’s what John had been doing, not hiding from Sherlock, protecting Sherlock from his beast… He had to survive until John's mind reasserted itself, praying John was a were who didn’t go wholly beast Sherlock braced himself, he had to survive because killing him would kill John!

Licking sweetness off his teeth John felt his mind start to reassert itself, such sweet, sweet blood. His eyes showed him shreds of fabric, he was still colour blind like his beast but it looked like he had lost his shirt in the change… He had changed naked… He always changed naked, so whose clothes lay scattered about his room. He couldn’t smell anything passed the tang and sweetness of blood so he stood to look around. It was always strange moving changed as his beast was considerably heavier than he was so he tracked his tail to avoid destroying a second lamp, no explaining that to Sherlock as an accident again and a paw stumbled on something soft. “John, please" He lifted his hind paw off of Sherlock’s arm and stared in horror “John, please, is that you?” Sherlock’s delicate hand was bloodied where he must have fought the beast, blood on his belly and his thigh, John knew his beast was strong but he would have destroyed himself before he let Sherlock be harmed.

John huffed a deep breath that must have sound like a growl because Sherlock flinched as John took in the damage he had done. Sherlock was in shock; breathing shallow, blood loss, the pain, oh god his hand. John couldn’t see much under the blood and felt his legs give out under him. He had mauled Sherlock which had been the one thing he was trying to avoid! The last thing he never wanted to happen!

He slowly rose on four shaky legs and pulled the duvet off his bed over his bloodied friend, there was nothing he could do in this form as he lay down beside Sherlock and howled in sorrow at his helplessness, tears wet his fur and he didn’t care, Sherlock, his best friend and dearest idiot… was petting his ears clumsily, trying to comfort him. He blinked his eyes clear and saw Sherlock’s grey face smiling at him. No! He would not loose Sherlock!

Climbing to his feet he stumbled down the stairs and delicately grabbed Sherlock’s phone off the coffee table. Mycroft would no doubt skin John, possibly alive and probably slowly, but he didn’t give a shit! He got the phone to Sherlock, who had shifted to lean against the bed, and dropping it onto him awkwardly tried to speak. “Mmrrrr Rffff" He nudged the phone with his nose and lay down waiting, he must be in shock as well, his body was shuddering. “I'm not phoning bloody Mycroft, it’s not necessary and we both know he’ll likely kill you, probably slowly" He sounded quite strong but John had to insist, he didn’t care if he died Sherlock needed help! “Mmmykrofff” John winced as another shudder ran through his frame and stared at Sherlock.

“I dosed you with an inhibitor. I didn’t want to but your beast wasn’t open to negotiations. I’m sorry John, my research says this hurts.” John braced himself, the pain was fine, he fucking deserved it and changed he could at least attend to Sherlock. His beast hadn’t been dosed since before his army days and it hit his mature wolf harder than it did as a cub. It was agony and he had tried to be quiet but soon he lay naked and panting beside Sherlock.

The dose weakened him but he hastily forced his limbs to work by crawling to his bed for the heavy first responder bag underneath and dragging it out to Sherlock’s side, shaking hands pulled the bag open and he took a deep breath, before he suddenly lurched away from his patient and puked his supper, blood streaked, onto the rug. So much for his décor, he refocused and turned to Sherlock who was studying his vomit. “Did I taste good?” Only Sherlock would ask such a lunatic question, he was definitely in shock. “Amazing" John answered weakly as he huffed a laugh and peeled his duvet down to Sherlock’s knees. Sherlock was mostly shirtless already and his trousers were shredded, a were’s strength would have made short work of what remained but safety scissors were more human and John was sure Sherlock had seen enough of the beast.

Stripped down to his bloody pants John checked the damage of puncture wounds and gashes that oozed blood over pale skin, he counted six puncture wounds in Sherlock’s belly with two more on his thigh and the two gashes in a long lean leg showed where John’s beast must have worried his teeth into Sherlock’s flesh. “That’s when I dosed you, your beast had locked onto my thigh and I got you behind the ear where the skin would be thin, got my hand you were so quick.” Sherlock waved his hand slightly and John saw the two deep puncture wounds and the slightly curled fingers, he felt his stomach rise again, maybe Mycroft should kill him after all.

The wounded hand flexed slightly and John prayed it was just numb from shock. Not trusting his voice just yet John stitched what he could and liberally applied antibiotic ointment to everything before putting Sherlock’s hand into a brace like it was a holy relic. “As soon as the swelling is down we need to get your hand checked out, surely your brother has a good neurologist in his pocket?” “And tell them what John?” “That I bit you Sherlock! That a fucking werewolf mauled your hand.”

John took a deep breath and his stomach cramped again, he was going back on the inhibitors and he was never coming off them, if he had cost Sherlock his music he would never forgive himself. Sherlock leaned back against the bed again and John suddenly missed his wolf; who would simply have laid down with a wounded pack mate but John couldn’t do that could he, well either way they needed to get Sherlock off the floor.

Sherlock shook his head as John lifted him, John paused but then kept lifting as Sherlock waved towards his own room. “The stairs Sherlock your leg, stubborn git" John sighed “You shouldn’t be walking on fresh stitches.” “I know, but I want my own bed John. You’re able to carry me aren't you? A were's strength is disproportionate to their size…” to stall the lecture on his own species and because John really wasn't allowed to complain right now he locked one arm around Sherlock’s back and scooped him up at the knees with the other.

Sherlock was grinning like an idiot on a parade float as they reached his bedroom. John settled him into bed and belatedly realised he was stark naked, in Sherlock’s bedroom, leaning over Sherlock and felt his face flush.

“A bashful werewolf” Sherlock was still grinning so John swiped a dressing gown and headed back to his bag for pain meds and to collect his discarded clothes, by the time he returned Sherlock was no longer smiling as he inspected the various bandages littering his body. “If you’d like to scold me about my lying to you regarding my location and sneaking up on your change now is as good a time as any."

This gave John pause and he found he just couldn’t lecture a wounded man especially when he had done the wounding. “You already know what I’m going to say anyway and I don’t think you’ll be doing this again right?” “Right, next time you change I'll just wait elsewhere and you can join me when you’re you again" Sherlock was grinning again and John felt himself growl. “No! No Sherlock, just no! You will not wait anywhere! I’m not changing again! I’m staying on the inhibitors and…” John realised he was leaning into Sherlock’s space and was colour blind again so clearly his beast’s eyes had come through the inhibitor, Sherlock was also pale again so John left the room with a muttered “Tea". He kept muttering as he marched down the passage about idiots, and killing people, and idiots who get themselves killed.

Tea, that good English stand by had always calmed him. The enforced pause of letting the tea steep gave him time to think and Sherlock time to, hopefully, pull himself together. He carried two cups back to Sherlock’s bedroom and found his flatmate nose deep in his mobile. “I was an idiot" Sherlock told his phone's screen and John nearly dropped their mugs. “I endangered us both" Sherlock continued turning to face him and quietly thanking him for the tea. “Your wolf is magnificent John but yes, I could have been killed and had that happened I don’t know how you would feel but I do know that my brother would probably hunt you down and I won’t be responsible for that.” “He wouldn’t have had to" John responded without thinking. “We can arrange a safe location for your change John, I was researching the inhibitors when I prepped for this spectacular bout of idiocy and they’re painful and dangerous. Please, stop taking them. I will arrange everything, please stop hurting yourself"

“That’s not your call to make Sherlock but I will consider your offer" John perched on the bed to finish his tea and observe Sherlock for any further problems. Sherlock lay down soon as the medication was clearly working. “Pack stays" A sleepy voice rumbled as John shifted off the bed. “My research says pack stays with the injured, please John?... Please don’t leave just because of this, don't move out. Please stay." John’s heart cracked at the unfocused tears in Sherlock’s glazed eyes. “I'll stay" He promised quietly. “All night?" Sherlock pushed his luck. “All night, go to sleep"

John did stay and Sherlock healed, six weeks later Sherlock played a sweet mournful tune as they had tea one evening. The Moon's Lament, John shook his head but the piece was lovely. They were still negotiating his using the inhibitors and Sherlock was doing more research after spending a few nights in John’s bed as Pack, staying with him through the pain of his halted change.

He had tiptoed guilt ridden around Sherlock for a fortnight after the incident but when an acid experiment ate the interior of their second microwave in that year he’d been snapping and snarling like the old days, Sherlock had looked contrite but John could see that he was suppressing a smile. John Watson had a pack at last and as the lament ended another melody began, Sherlock was clearly in concert mode and John was going to enjoy it, music did sooth the savage beast after all.


End file.
